Garment hangers



1956 A. F. BERNIER El'AL $757,834

GARMENT HANGERS Filed Dec. 22, 1954 JNVENTORS /4L F'- E F V EE A/va JOSEPH 0. DULAK ATTORNEY GARMENT HANGERS Al F. Bernier and Joseph 0. Dulak, Owatonna, Minn.

Application December 22, 1954, 'Serial'No. 476,962

3 Claims. (Cl. 223-88) The present invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to an improved garment hanger which iskadapted to be suspended from a supporting rod or the A primary object of the inventionresides in the provision of an improved garment hanger having means which will preclude the accidental or unintentional dislodgment of the hanger from its associated supporting rod.

Another object of the invention is the provision of resilient means which will effectually restrain the hanger against accidental displacement and which at the same time will require the use of minimum manual force to place the hanger upon its associated supporting rod and to effect its removal therefrom when desired.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved hanger incorporating means to prevent damage to garments associated with the hanger and also to other garments which might come into contact therewith.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved hanger which is of highly simplified and efficient construction, neat in appearance, and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein there are disclosed preferred embodiments of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of hanger embodying the inventive concept.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, partly in section, disclosing, a modified form of the instant invention.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the body of the improved hanger is generally designated 10. It preferably comprises a pair of angularly disposed sections 11 and 12, the upper extremities of which are securely connected in assembled relation by corrugated metallic fasteners 13, or other suitable means. The lower extremities of the sections 11 and 12 are provided with bores 13 and 14, respectively, for the reception of the ends of a cross-bar 15. The meeting faces of the upper extremities of the body sections 11 and 12 are formed with comiplemental semi-circular grooves which cooperate to define a vertical bore 16 extending entirely through the body along the vertical median line thereof. Laterally spaced from the bore 16 and disposed at an angle thereto is a second bore 17 which is formed in and extends entirely through the body section 12.

The body of the hanger is suspended from a suitable support, such as a rod, and restrained from accidental dislodgment therefrom by the novel means about to be described.

Such means comprises, in the main, a suspension elenitcd States Fatent ment generally designated 18 and a resilient locking element 20. These elements, in the embodiment of the invention now being described, are formed from a single length 'orpiece of relatively stout, resilient wire stock which is fashioned into ahook portion 21 and a substantially U-shaped portion generally designated 22, one leg 23 of which forms the shank of the hook 21 and the other leg thereof forms the resilient locking element 20. The legs 23 and 20 of the U-shaped portion are mounted in the laterally spaced bores 16 and 17, .respectively, formed in the body 10, and such legs are initially biased outwardly or away from each other to an extent greater than the distance between the bores 16 and 17 and consequently'when' the legs are inserted into the bores they are placed under tension to establish a. firm frictional engagementwith the walls of the bores.

In-assembling the body and the suspension and locking elements, the straight locking element 20 is first inserted through the bore. 17'from the underside of the body 10 and then the leg or shank 23 is' pressed inwardly toward the locking element 20 and seated in the semi-circular groove in the upper extremity of the body section 12, after'which the grooved upper extremity of the section 11 is brought into engagement with the grooved end of the section 12. The upper extremities of the body sections 11' and 12 are then secured in position by suitable means, such as the fasteners 13.

From Fig. 1 it will be seen that the free end of the hook portion 21 is directed downwardly and disposed in closely spaced relationship to the upper free end of the resilient locking element 20 so. that the opening of the hook is substantially closed. Spherical elements 24 of substantial diameter and of the order of three times the diameter of the hook portion 21 and element 20 are provided on the adjacent free ends of the hook portion and the locking element. These elements, of plastic or other appropriate material, eliminate any sharp edges which would be likely to tear or otherwise damage wearing apparel coming into contact therewith. The spherical elements 24 also act as camming means during the application and removal of the hanger from its supporting rod and additionally avoid damage to the rod and its finish in such operations.

As clearly illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, the resilient locking element 20 may be flexed inwardly or outwardly through pressure contact with a supporting rod to provide for the application to or intentional removal of the hanger from such rod. When the locking element 20 occupies the full-line position illustrated in Fig. 1, it serves effectively to prevent accidental or unintentional displacement of the hanger from its associated supporting rod.

In another form of the invention, as shown in Fig. 3, the shank 23a of the suspension element extends downwardly through the bore 16a and is reversely bent and extends upwardly to a limited extent in the bore 17a, terminating as shown at 25. The shank 23a and the reversely bent end extending into the bore 17a are biased outwardly or away from each other in the same manner as the legs 20 and 23 of Fig. 1. A flexible or resilient plastic rod 26 is inserted into the bore 17a from its upper end with a close fit, the lower end of the rod closely approaching or contacting the reversely bent end of the shank 23a. The upper end of the plastic rod carries a spherical element 24a functioning in the same manner and for the same purposes as the spherical elements 24 described in connection with Fig. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment hanger, a body shaped to support a garment and provided with a pair of spaced bores extending downwardly therethrough, one of said bores being located substantially centrally of said body, a resilient one-piece supporting member for said body, said supporting member comprising in the main a substantially U-shaped portion, the legs of which are mounted in said bores with the bight thereof located at the underside of said body, the legs of said U-shaped portion being biased outwardly soas to cause the same to frictionally engage the walls of said bores, said legs extending substantial distances above said body, the upper end of one of said legs being provided with a hook terminating in a downwardly projecting free end and the upper end of the other leg of said U-shaped portion terminating adjacent the free end of said hook.

2. In a garment hanger, a body shaped to support a garment and provided with a bore extending substantially vertically therethrough and adjacent the vertical median line thereof and also provided with a second bore arranged at an angle to said first-named bore and extending entirely through said body, and a resilient one-piece supporting member for said body, said supporting member comprising in the maina substantially U-shaped portion, the legs of which are mounted in said first and second-named bores with the bight thereof located at the underside of said body, the legs of said U-shaped portion being biased outwardly so as to cause the same to frictionally engage the walls of said bores, said legs extending substantial distances above said body, the upper end portion of one of said legs being provided with a hook terminating in a downwardly projecting free end and the upper end of the other leg terminating adjacent the free end of said hook, the adjacent ends of said hook and said other leg being provided with spherical protecting and camming means of substantial diameter.

3. In a garment hanger, a body shaped to support a garment and provided with a pair of spaced, downwardly converging bores extending therethrough, one of said bores being located substantially centrally of the body, a resilient one-piece supporting member for said body, said supporting member comprising in the main a U shaped portion, the legs of which are mounted in said bores with the bight thereof located at the underside of said body, the converging walls of the bores acting to frictionally resist movement of the bight-connected legs longitudinally of such bores, said legs extending substantial distances above said body, the upper end of one of said legs being provided with a hook terminating in a downwardly projecting free end and the upper end of the other leg of said U-shaped portion terminating adjacent the free end of said hook whereby the opening of the hook is substantially closed and accidental dislodgment of the hanger from its support precluded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,621 Harding Aug. 4, l93l 1,914,840 Wolff June 20, 1933 2,693,303 McGhie Nov. 2, 1954 

